Leeds United and Burnley won promotion to the Premier League on Monday as faltering Sheffield United were forced to settle for a place in the Championship play-offs.
Leeds, who last played in the top division in the 2022/23 season, humbled Stoke 6-0 at Elland Road, with Joel Piroe scoring four goals.
Daniel Farke’s men knew that if Sheffield United failed to beat Burnley in the later kick-off, they would be back in the Premier League.
Captain Josh Brownhill scored twice for Scott Parker’s Burnley, who have made an immediate return to the top flight.
Leeds and Burnley both have 94 points and neither can now be caught by Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United (86), who have won just one of their past five games.
Leeds, who suffered the agony of defeat to Southampton in last season’s Championship play-off final at Wembley, made short work of Stoke.
Dutch forward Piroe, who had not scored since late February, returned to form with a vengeance, celebrating a hat-trick in the 20th minute.
Junior Firpo made it four and Piroe, the club’s leading scorer this season, netted his fourth goal shortly before half-time.
The game was already long over as a contest but Wilfried Gnonto nodded a sixth goal in the 59th minute.
Farke and his players celebrated in front of their passionate fans at the final whistle but the champagne is still on ice.
The German, who has previously managed in the Premier League with Norwich, praised the way his team had coped with the pressure.
“To deliver such an emphatic performance is really amazing and all the credit goes to the boys for the way they have handled the situation and the spirit they have shown in recent weeks,” he told the BBC.
“It’s the fate of a striker that sometimes you have a dry period or a dip in form. Joel had this but he has worked so hard and got himself out of it.
“In the last few weeks his performances were better but the ball didn’t want to go in the net. It’s a bit like shaking a bottle of ketchup — all of a sudden everything comes out and that was a bit the case today.”
Leeds wobbled from the start of March, winning just one in six games, raising fears that they would again have to settle for a place in the play-offs.
But the league’s top-scorers, with 89 goals, have now won their past four league games.
– Solid Burnley –
Burnley are nowhere near as prolific as their closest rivals, whom they will battle for the Championship title, but their superpower is their defence — they have conceded just 15 goals all season.
Brownhill broke the deadlock at Turf Moor in the 28th minute when he pounced from close range but the visitors were level just nine minutes later through Tom Cannon.
But Brownhill put Burnley back in front from the penalty spot before half-time and there were no more goals.
Burnley’s players celebrated on the pitch at the final whistle — matched by the watching Leeds team at Elland Road.
At the other end of the table, Mustapha Bundu scored twice to keep alive bottom side Plymouth’s survival hopes in a 3-1 win against sixth-placed Coventry.
There were also 3-1 victories for relegation-threatened Derby and Luton while Portsmouth sealed their safety with a 1-0 win against 10-man Watford.
Middlesbrough’s play-off hopes were dented by a damaging 2-1 loss at Sheffield Wednesday.
jw/bsp
© Agence France-Presse
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